Assembly for positioning the ring rail of spinning machines or the like



ly 1965 A. MODUFFY, JR. ETAL 3,196,600

ASSEMBLY FOR POSITIONING Tim RING RAIL OF SPINNING MACHINES on THE LIKE Filed Sept. 6, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet l I l Z6 50 44 185 o Z0 22 L -0 Z4- 5 32 30 f1 g=l 5s 5 (Z r56 222 14 re a??? 4 Lagtall-4: u-= 3? 1 53 18 2e '3 I 4 24 Z 26 A 42 F NVENTORSI 1 2 10mg: ASHLEY r I BUFFYJR.

and AYMONI: E. PATToN ATTORNEYS July 27, 1965 A. M DUFFY. JR. ETAL 3,196,600

ASSEMBLY FOR POSITIONING THE RING RAIL 0F SPINNING MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 6, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. IOblCE- ASHLEY M buF-Fv,l1'12. and giYMoNb E. PATToN {gazflbimkm my;

ATTORNEYS July 27, 1965 N 1. A. M DUFFY, JR.. ETAL 3,196,600

ASSEMBLY FOR POSITIONING THE RING RAIL 0F SPINNING MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 6, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I VENTORS:

' N IomcE- ASHLEY M bLlFFflIE, and EAYMONb E. PATTON mjtmmch W A TTOENE Y5 United States Patent 3,196,690 ASSEMBLY FGR POSITIONING THE RING RAIL GI SPINNING MACHINES OR THE LIKE Iodine Ashley McDutiy, Jr., 36 Back St., and Raymond E. Patton, 406 N. Green St., both of Selma, N.=C. Filed Sept. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 307,249 9 Claims. (CI. 5754) This invention relates to spinning, twisting and other similar textile machines employing an upwardly biased ring rail which is vertically reciprocated during normal operation, and which during doffing is placed and maintained in a lowered or depressed position. More specifically, this invention pertains to an improved assembly for placing and maintaining the ring rail of such machines in a lowered or depressed position during dofling.

Primary objects of this invention are the provision of an assembly of the type described which isof durable and economical construction, and which can be quickly and easily installed upon existing textile machines, yet which is extremely efi'icient in operation and which permits the operator of a machine to position the ring rail thereof with a minimum expenditure of time and effort and with maximum safety and control.

A related and more specific object is the provision of an assembly of the type described which can be conveniently,

operated at all times by merely a simple movement of but a single hand of the operator of a machine to place the ring rail in dotfing position, maintain it there during dotting, and to restore it to a normal position after dotfing.

Another related and still more specific object is the provision of an assembly of the type described which requires no operator activity of any type, apart from that required to lower and raise the ring rail, in order to maintain the ring rail in dofiing position and release it therefrom.

Still other objects and advantages will be in part evident and in part pointed out hereinafter in the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the head end of a spinning machine equipped with an assembly embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic front elevation of the spinning frame of FIGURE 1 showing the ring rail and the associated components for imparting movement thereto;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the assembly of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction of the arrows 3-3, and of the immediately adjacent components of the spinning machine, some of which are shown in section;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are enlarged rear elevations of the assembly of FIGURE 1 and the immediately adjacent components of the spinning machine, but with the assembly and components being shown in the positions which they occupy immediately prior to dofling, and during dotting, respectively; and

FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly with one end of the connecting rod of the machine also being shown.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the spinning machine identified in its entirety by the numeral 10 is of a conventional construction including a longitudinally extending spindle rail 12, ring rail 14, and connecting rod 16, and a series of transversely extending cross-shafts 18, 18, etc. mounted for rot-ative movement by hangers 28 (one of which is shown in FIGURES 1 and 4) depending from spindle rail 12 and its counterpart (not shown) on the opposite side of the machine. Ring rail 14 is mounted for vertical reciprocation through an upward position such as is depicted in FIGURE 4 and a lower position such as is depicted in FIGURE 5 by means of a plurality of lifter rods 22, 22', etc. which depend downwardly therefrom through suitable bushings carried by spindle rail 12, the latter of course being stationary since it comprises a part of the frame of machine 10.

Associated with the lifter rod 22 shown in FIGURES 1 and 3 through 5 of the drawings is a lifter arm 24, weight arm 26, and quadrant arm 28, all of which are carried by cross-shaft 18 and are either integrally formed or interconnected so as to be pivotable in unis-on about its axis. Lifter arm 24 extends between cross-shaft 18 and lifter rod 22, and has at its outer end a lifter arm roll 30 which underlies a shoe 32 secured to the lower end of lifter rod 22. Weight arm 26 extends from cross-shaft 18 in a direction opposite to that of lifter arm 24, and carries a weight 33. Quadrant arm 28 extends upwardly from cross-shaft 18 and at its upper end carries a quadrant member 34 which is connected by one or more chains 36 to the builder motion mechanism, indicated generally in FIGURES 1 and 2 by the numeral 38, of machine 10.

As is shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, lifter, weight and quadrant arms are also provided in association with the remaining li-fiter rods 22, 22", etc. of machine 10. These arms are identified by the same numerals, but with the addition of appropriate prime designations, as have been employed for the previously described arms 24, 26 and 28 associated with lifter rod 22 since in function and construction they are substantially identical thereto, except that arms 24', 24", etc. do not carry a quadrant member as does arm 28. Arms 28', 28", etc. are, however, still subject to movement by builder motion mechanism 38 in unison with arm 28 since each of the former is connected to the latter by rod 16, which extends substantially the entire length of machine 10 and to which each arm 28, 28', 28'', etc. is pivotally secured by suit-able means such as that illustrated, in the case of arm 28, by the numeral 40 in FIGURES 4-6.

As is all well known, the weight of ring rail 14 and its depending lifter rods is overbalanced by the weights upon arms 26, 26', etc., such that ring rail 14 is biased to an upward position by lifter arms 24, 24', etc. During normal operation of the machine 10, the desired vertical reciprocation of ring rail 14 is realized by builder motion mechanism 38, which-acting through chain 36, quadrant member 34 and connecting rod 16-cyclically pivots arms 28, 28', etc. in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG- URES 4 and 5) about the axes of their cross-shafts and then allows their return pivotal movement in the opposite, counterclockwise direction under the impetus of the weights carried by arms 26, 26, etc., the clockwise and counterclockwise movement of arms 28, 28, etc. of course effecting corresponding movement downwardly and upwardly, respectively, of the outer ends of the lifter arms 24, 24', etc. supporting lifter rods 22, 22', etc. When full yarn packages have been produced, the operation of machine 10 is usually stopped when ring rail 14 occupies an upward position such as that shown in FIGURE 4. In order to permit removal of the yarn packages and the insertion of new bobbins upon the spindles of machine 10, therefore, ring rail 14 must be moved from its upward position to a depressed, downward position such as is illustrated in FIGURE 5, and there maintained during dofiing.

The assembly shown in the drawings for thus positioning ring rail 14 is identified in its entirety in FIGURES l, 2 and 6 by the numeral 42 and includes generally a mounting bracket 44, shaft 46, actuating means in the form of a crank handle 48, crank means 50, counterbalancing or abutment means in the form of a stop pin 52, linkage means 54, and clamp means 56.

Bracket 44 of assembly 42 is secured, as by means of bolts 58, to spindle rail 12 of machine 10 at a point areaooo thereon in convenient proximity to the control mechanism 60 of machine 16. Thus, when control mechanism on is mounted upon the head end of machine 10, as shown in FIGURE 1, bracket 44 mayconveniently be secured to spindle rail .12 at .a point between the first and second spindles. A bore62 provided through bracket 44 receives shaft 46 of assembly 42 and mounts the same for rotation about its longitudinal axis, which extends substantially horizontally normal to the length of spindle rail 12. A pin 64 extends through the outer end portion of shaft 46, which outer end portion is adapted to be I received by a suitably bored and slotted boss 66 provided upon crank handle 48, so as to permit handle .45 to be conveniently connected to shaft 46 for the purpose of rotating the same when desired, while permitting the handle to be readily disassociated from the shaft during those times when assembly 421's not in use.

Crank means is of the belltype, having 'two angularly disposed arms 72, 74 which define an included angle of approximately l52'degrees and which possess a common, planar face 75. A set screw 68 and key 70 secure crank means 50 to the inner end of shaft 46 for rotation therewith, with face '75 of arms 72, 74 extending substantially vertically in slightly offset relationship to the vertical projection of connecting rod 16 of machine itltsee FIGURE 3). Pin 52 projects normally from face 75 at a point thereon adjacent the end of arm 72, and a plurality of horizontal bores '76 are provided through face 75 at spaced locations along the center line of arm 74. Any desired one of the bores 76 receives a bolt 78 .whi-ch, in conjunction with washers 8t) and nut 82, pivotally interconnects arm 74 and one end portion of a rigid bar 84 comprising part of linkage means 54 of assembly 42. A chain. 86, comprising the remaining part of linkage 54, interconnects the opposite end of bar 84 and a pin 87 carried by clamp 56 of assembly 42. As is best shown in FIGURE 6, grooved blocks 88 and 9d of clamp means do embrace opposite sides of connecting rod 16 of machine 10, illustratively at a point adjacent its pivotal connection to quadrant arm 23, and are rigidly secured to the connecting rod by means of bolts 92 which extend through mating bores 94, 94 provided within blocks 83, 90, respectively. Crank means 59 of assembly 42 remain stationary i p the position shown in FIGURES 1 through 4 of the drawings during the normal operation of machine It) between dotiings. The reciprocatory movement then imparted by the machines builder motion .mechanism 38 and ring rail biasing means (i.e., weights 33, 33, etc.) to connecting rod 16 merely increases and decreases the amount of slack within linkage means 54 of assembly 42, the length of this linkage and the location of clamping means 56 being such that a small amount of slack still remains in the former even when rod 16 is reciprocated to the extreme limitof it normal stroke in a direction away from assembly 42 (toward the foot end of machine 10). When, however, the operation of machine 10 is stopped at such time as full yarn packages have been produced and ring rail 14 occupies an upward position such as is illustrated in FIGURE 4, the small amount of slack remaining in linkage 54 may be removed and the linkage made taut by pivoting crank means 50 of assembly 42, through the medium of handle 48 and shaft 46, a few degrees in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 4 and 5. Continued pivotal movement of crank means 50 in the same direction from the initial position which it occupies when all slack is removed from linkage 54 to a dead center position (indicated in FIGURE 5 by the letters d c p) in which bolt 78, shaft 46 and pin 37 all are alined, displaces connecting rod 16 toward the head end of machine It) (to the right, as viewed in FIGURES 4 and 5). This movement of connecting rod 16 in turn pivots arms 7 28, 28', etc. and 24, 24', etc. in a clockwise direction, thus permitting downward displacement of ring rail 14 to and slightly beyond its dofi'lng position shown in FIGURE 5.

. fore noted, together with many practical benefits. in.

it will be apparent that the aforementioned pivotal movement of crank means 5i from its initial position to its dead center position is opposed by a moment exerted on crank means 551) by the action of weights 33, 33', etc. through arms 26, 26', 28, 28', etc., connecting rod in and linkage 54. However, as crank means 5%. is further rotated in a clockwise direction through the dead center position indicated in FIGURE 5, this positive moment theretofore opposing rotation of crank means becomes negative. That is, after crank means 59 has passed through its dead center position, the effect of weights 33, 33, etc. is to continue its clockwise pivotal movement, and to again raise ring rail 14. This further clockwise movement of crank means 5t and raising of ring rail is permitted to continue, however, only until these components occupy their desired terminal and dotting positions, respectively, in which they are shown in FIGURE 5. At this time the negative moment upon crank means 5%? is counterbalanced by the abutment of pin 52 upon arm 72-and the underside of bar 34 of linkage 54, prohibiting further clockwise movement of crank means and further raising of ring rail 14. Assembly 42 and ring rail 14 are then automatically maintained or, in effect, latched in their FIGURE 5 positions. T he negative moment upon crank means 5t? keeps pin 5'2 and bar 84 in abutment without the necessity of any activity on the part of the machines operator, who is therefore able to immediately commence dofiing.

After dotting, machine it? is placed back into opera tion by the operator merely actuating control mechanism 6% while simultaneously pivoting crank means 5?, from its FIGURE 5 position toward its position illustrated in FIGURE 4. Crank means Sit is, of course, freely pivotable in this reverse direction since as it transpires pin 5?. moves away from bar 84, and further since a positive moment is again imposed upon it by weights 33, 3 3, etc. after the crank means passes back through its dead center position. By suitably restraining movement of crank handle 48 during this return movement of crank means 5% from its FIGURE 5 to its FIGURE 4 position, the operator of machine lit is readily able to trol the rate of ascent of ring rail id in a manner minn ing the loss of ends from the new bobbins.

Once machine 16 is restored to normal operation, cran" handle 48 may be removed from shaft 46 and stored until again needed for dotling, so as not to obstruct the aisle adjacent the machine.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided an assembly realizing the objects and advantages her en utilizing the assembly 42, the only operator activity n sary to place and maintain ring rail lid in dofiing position is that of a simple, continuous movement or" crank handle 48 through an arc of less than 180 degrees. While the amount of applied force rccuired to move crank handle 48 through this are will vary somewhat accordingto the particular machine in conjunction with which the assembly is utilized, it has been found that the maximum required is usually only some 35 pounds. lso contributing markedly to the ease and safety of operation of assembly 42 is the convenient location of crank handle 48 and the absence of a cumbersome latching mechanism requiring manual engagement and disengagement in order to secure ring rail 14 in dofiing position and release it therefrom, respectively. An operator utilizing the present assembly is permitted to stand at all times in a comfortable, erect posture, and runs no risk of being entangled in or injured by its components.

The present assembly is comprised of components which are few in number and are of inexpensive construction, involving no costly gears or the like, and can be readily mounted upon existing machines or various types and models. In this latter connection, initial adjustment of assembly 42 can usually be readily effected merely by varying the location at which clamp means 56 is secured to connecting rod 16 and/or by varying the bore 76 through which bolt 7s extends.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, al though specific terms are empl yed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being definedin the claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. In a spinning machine or the like having a frame, a ring rail mounted for vertical reciprocatory movement relative to said frame, means operatively connected to said ring rail and biasing the same to an upward position, and builder motion means operatively connected to said biasing means and said ring rail for imparting said reciprocatory movement to said ring rail during operation of the machine, an improved assembly for placing and maintaining said ring rail in a lowered position during clotting of the machine, said assembly comprising:

(a) linkage means connect d to said biasing means and actuatable for relieving the upward bias upon said ring rail and for thus effecting lowering of said ring rail to a doifing position;

(b) crank means connected to said linkage means and carried by said frame for pivotal movement about an axis in a first direction from an initial position to a dead center position for actuating said linkage means and for further pivotal movement in said first direction beyond said dead center position to a terminal position, said crank means when intermediate said initial position and said dead center position having a positive moment exerted thereon by said biasing means in opposition to said pivotal movement in said first direction and said crank means when pivoted beyond said dead center position having a negative moment exerted thereon by said biasing means tending to produce further pivotal movement thereof in said first direction;

(c) and means for counterbalancin said negative moment exerted on said crank means when said crank means reaches said terminal position to stop and maintain said crank means at said terminal position during dofiing, while permitting pivotal movement of said crank means in a direction opposite to said first direction upon completion of the cloning operation.

2. An assembly as in claim 1, wherein said crank means is of the bell-type having a pair of angularly extending arms and said linkage means is pivotally connected to one of said arms, and wherein said counter-balancing means comprises a stop pin carried by the other of said arms of said crank means and abutting said linkage means when said crank means is in said terminal position.

3. An assembly as in claim 1, wherein said linkage means includes a flexible member, and said crank means is stationary during normal operation of the machine.

4. An assembly as in claim 1, and further including hand-operable means for pivoting said crank means.

5. In a spinning machine or the like having a frame, and a ring rail carried by said frame for vertical reciprocatory movement during normal operation of the machine and biased to an upward position, an improved assembly for placing and maintianing said ring rail in a lowered position during dotting, said assembly comprising:

(a) crank means carried by said frame;

(b) linkage means pivotally connected to said crank means and operatively connected to said ring rail;

(c) means mounting said crank means for pivotal movement about an axis between initial and terminal positions on opposite sides of a dead center position of said crank means and said linkage means;

(d) said crank means having a moment exerted thereon through siad linkage means when at and between said initial and terminal positions, and pivotal movement of said crank means through said dead center position reversing the direction of the moment exerted thereon; and

(e) abutment means associated with said crank means and counterbalancing the moment exerted on said crank means at said terminal position for preventing pivotal movement of said crank means therebeyond while permitting reverse pivotal movement of said crank means back toward said dead center position.

6. In a spinning machine or the like having a frame, and a ring rail carried by said frame for vertical reciprocatory movement during normal operation of the machine and biased to an upward position, an improved assembly for placing and maintaining said ring rail in a lowered position during dofiing, said assembly comprising:

(a) bell-type crank means carried by said frame and having a pair of angularly extending arms;

(b) linkage means pivotally connected to one of said arms of said crank means and operatively connected to said ring rail;

(0) means mounting said crank means for pivotal movement about an axis between initial and terminal positions on opposite sides of a dead center position of said crank means and said linkage means; and

(d) means on the other of said arms of said crank means abutting said linkage means when said crank means is in said terminal position for preventing pivotal movement of said crank means therebeyond.

7. An assembly as in claim 6, wherein said linkage means is comprised of interconnected flexible and rigid members, and further including hand-operable means det-achably connected to said crank means for pivotally moving the same.

8. In a spinning machine or the like having a spindle rail, an upwardly biased ring rail carried by said spindle rail for vertical reciprocatory movement during normal operation of the machine, and a traverse rod operatively connected to said ring rail, an improved assembly for placing and maintaining said ring rail in a lowered position during dofiing, said assembly comprising:

(a) bracket means secured to said spindle rail;

(b) a horizontal shaft mounted by said bracket means normal to the length of said spindle rail for rotation about its axis;

(c) crank means having a pair of angularly extending arms carried by and rotatable with said shaft;

((1) a rigid bar pivotally connected adjacent one end to one of said arms of said crank means;

(e) clamp means secured to said traverse rod;

(f) a flexible chain interconnecting the other end of said rigid bar and said clamp means;

(g) a crank handle detachably connected to said shaft for manually rotating the same and for thus pivoting said crank means about the axis of said shaft between initial and terminal positions on opposite sides of a dead center positon of said crank means and said rigid bar; and

(h) a stop pin on the other of said arms of said crank means abutting said rigid bar when said crank means is in said terminal position for preventing pivotal movement of said crank means therebeyond.

9. An assembly as in claim 8, wherein said one of said arms of said crank means has a plurality of longitudinallyspaced bores extending therethrough, and wherein the pivotal connection of said rigid bar to said one of said arms of said crank means is adjustable and includes bolt means extending through any desired one of said bores and connected to said rigid bar.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 622,649 4/99 Knight et a1. 57--54 977,323 11/10 Moroney 57-54 2,979,881 4/ 61 Thibault et a1. 57--54 3,059,407 10/62 Kennedy et a1 57--54 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A SPINNING MACHINE OR THE LIKE HAVING A FRAME, A RING RAIL MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL RECIPROCATORY MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID RING RAIL AND BIASING THE SAME TO AN UPWARD POSITION, AND BUILDER MOTION MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID BIASING MEANS AND SAID RING RAIL FOR IMPARTING SAID RECIPROCATORY MOVEMENT TO SAID RING RAIL DURING OPERATION OF THE MACHINE, AN IMPROVED ASSEMBLY FOR PLACING AND MAINTAINING SAID RING RAIL IN A LOSERED POSITION DURING DOFFING OF THE MACHINE, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: (A) LINKAGE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID BIASING MEANS AND ACTUATABLE FOR RELIEVING THE UPWARD BIAS UPON SAID RING RAIL AND FOR THUS EFFECTING LOWERING OF SAID RING RAIL TO A DOFFING POSITION; (B) CRANK MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID LINKAGE MEANS AND CARRIED BY SAID FRAME FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS IN A FIRST DIRECTION FOR AN INITIAL POSITION TO A DEAD CENTER POSITION FOR ACTUATING SAID LINKAGE MEANS AND FOR FURTHER PIVOTAL MOVEMEBT IN SAID FIRST DIRECTION BEYOND SAID DEAD CENTER POSITION TO A TERMINAL POSITION, SAID CRANK MEANS WHEN INTERMEDIATE SAID INITIAL POSITION AND SAID DEAD CENTER POSITION HAVING A POSITIVE MOVEMENT EXERTED THEREON BY SAID BIASING MEANS IN OPPOSITION TO SAID PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN SAID FIRST DIRECTION AND SAID CRANK MENS WHEN PIVOTED BEYOND SAID DEAD CENTER POSITION HAVING A NEGATIVE MOVEMENT EXERTED THEREON BY SAID BIASING MEANS TENDING TO PRODUCE FURTHER PIVOTAL MOVEMENT THEREOF IN SAID FIRST DIRECTION; (C) AND MEANS FOR COUNTERBALANCING SAID NEGATIVE MOMENT EXERTED ON SAID CRANK MEANS WHEN SAID CRANK MEANS REACHES SAID TERMINAL POSITION TO STOP AND MAINTAIN SAID CRANK MEANS AT SAID TERMINAL POSITION DURING DOFFING, WHILE PERMITTING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID CRANK MEANS IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID FIRST DIRECTION UPON COMPLETION OF THE DOFFING OPERATION. 